city at night

city at night

Thursday, February 4, 2016

A Stroll Along Reforma

On Monday Alejandro and I took a late afternoon stroll along a portion of the Paseo de la Reforma, the broad, tree-lined boulevard which is Mexico City's version of the "Champs Elysee".


We began our walk at the intersection with Avenida Insurgentes, the city's longest avenue.  The traffic circle is marked with a monument to Cuautémoc, the last Aztec emperor.


I have been observing the construction of this new tower at the intersection for some time.  It appears to be completed, and office space is now available for rent.  With so much construction in the last few years, I fear that there will be a glut of office space, and that the building boom will burst like a bubble.



The complex known as Reforma 222 was completed in 2007.  The towers contain offices and residential space.

It also contains a three story shopping mall.



Along the boulevard there is still an encampment of protesters denouncing the disappearance of 43 students in September of 2014.




The next major intersection is known as "La Palma" because of the tall palm tree which stands in the traffic circle.



Ugly barricades surround the U.S. Embassy.  It's a sad commentary on our nation that these barricades need to be there.  



We ended our walk at one of the city's most iconic monuments... the Independence Monument, which is commonly called "El Angel".



 

4 comments:

  1. I was once ordered to stop taking photos of Reforma 222 by their security. It looks like they've lightened up a bit in the intervening years. Or had the day off!

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    1. I took several pictures inside the mall, and a couple years ago I took photos of the Christmas decorations there. No one said anything.
      ¡Saludos!

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  2. If I'm not mistaken, Reforma travels all the from Metro La Raza to Santa Fe - although to follow it in its entirety would take forever thanks to traffic. I noticed that it starts getting dicey once you follow it north past Metro Hidalgo.

    Oh...and I usually get yelled at whenever I take pictures of DF shopping malls.

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    1. Actually it's Insurgentes that goes up to La Raza, and beyond. Reforma as it heads north changes names to Calzada de Guadalupe and leads to the Basilica. At the other end it winds its way through the ritzy neighborhood of Lomas de Chapultepec and then joins with Constituyentes to become the highway that goes through Santa Fe and on to Toluca. I have only walked Reforma from Hidalgo (yes, north of there it becomes dicey) to the Anthropology Museum.

      Yes, I have heard a number of people say you can't take photos in the shopping malls, but, I have never had a problem.

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